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( No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. S. LYGAN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Patented Mar, 1, 1892.

Nov 470,064.

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W. S. LYGAN. ROTARY ENGINE.

No. 470,064 Patented Mar. 1 1892.

' I, WITNESSES 5 AW Q:

a2 0 BY 2% ATTORNEYS,

UNITED STATES WVILLIAM S. LYOAN, OF MARSHALL, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TOHIMSELF HORATIO V. GARD, AND HARRY M. JANNEY, OF SAME PLACE.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,064, dated March 1,1892. Application filed September 19, 1891. Serial No.'406,196. (Nomodel.)

T0 at whont it may concern;

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. LYOAN, of Marshall, in the county ofClark and State of Illinois, have invented a new and ImprovedRotaryEngine, of which the followingis afull, clear, and exactdescription.

The object of the invention is toprovide a new and improved rotaryengine which is simple and durable in construction, very effective inoperation, utilizes the motive agent to the greatest advantage, andpermits of be ing run at a high rate of speed.

The invention consists of certain parts and details and combinations ofthe same, as will be hereinafter described, and then pointed out in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a transversesection of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is a similar viewof the same on the line 3 3 of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectionof the same on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an inner face view ofone of the cylinder-heads. Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view of the sameon the line 6 6 of Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is aperspective view of one of thepacking-plates for the abutments on the cylinder-head.

The improved rotary engine is provided with a suitably-constructdbase-plate A, on which is secured the cylinder B, provided at its endswith the heads 0 and 0, formed at the inside and near the lower end Withabutments C and 0 respectively, made double wedge-shaped, as plainlyillustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. Through the cylinder-heads O and 0 passescentrally the main driving-shaft D, journaled on the outside of the saidheads in suitable bearings formed in standards E, secured on thebase-plate A. On the main driving-shaft D are secured the usual pulleysor fly-wheels for transmitting rotary motion to the other machinery. Onthe main driving-shaft D, within the cylinder B, is secured the hub F ofa piston F, formed at its ends with flanged Wheels G and G, having theedges of their rims abutting on the inner faces of the cylinder-heads Cand O, respectively, thus forming with the said heads ann ularsteam-spaces H and H, respectively, in which the motive agent operatesin the manner hereinafter more fully described.

Into the spaces H and H lead the steamin let pipes I and 1, respectivelyconnecting with a common supply-pipe 1 connected with the boiler andcontaining a suitable valve adapted to be operated from the outside byalever l to shut off the steam whenever desired. Into the saidsteam-spaces H and H also open, diametrically opposite the inletpipes Iand l, the exhaust-pipes J and J respectively, leading to acommonexhaust-pipe J opening into the outer air.

In the webs of the wheels G and G of the piston F are fitted to slidelongitudinally the gates or valves K K and K K respectively. The gatesor valves in each set are arranged diametrically opposite each other, asplainly shown in the drawings, the inner end K of each gatebein g"somewhat enlarged and fitted to slide in slotted projections or arms Fextending from the hub F of the piston F. Each set of valves is formedat its inner ends K with notches K engaging annular cams v L L,respectively secured in the'cylinder B between the wheels G and G, asplainly shown in Fig. 4. The annular cams L and L are so arrangedrelative to the abutments O and C of the cylinder-heads O and C,respectively, that the gates or valves are moved inward by the said camsduring the time the outer ends of the valves or gates pass over thewedgeshaped abutments C and 0 In order to render the wheels G and Gsteam-tlght on the cylinder-heads O and O, spring-pressed packing-ringsN N are employed, held in the said cylinder-heads and pressing on theflanges of the wheels and the hub F of the piston F.

In order to insure proper working of the gates or valves, the upper andlower edges are fitted to slide in grooves partly cut into the hub F asplainly illustrated in valves are thus guided gitudinal movement.

Fig. 2. The gates or throughout their lon- Packing-plates O are arrangedin the middle of the abutments O and the rims of the wheels G and G,

and 0 so as to prevent steam from leaking past the abntments and thegates when the latter pass over the said abutments.

In order to drain the interior of the cylinder B of condensed steam, apipe P is employed, opening in to the cylinder at the bottom between thecams L and. L. (See Figs. 3 and 4.)

In order to enable the engineer in charge of the engine to examine theWorkings of the device, openings Q are formed in each side of thecylinder and covered by suitable plates, which can be readily removedwhenever desired.

The operation is as follows: \Vhen the valve in the steam-inlet pipe Iis open, steam passes into the two pipes I and 1' and from the latter tothe steam-spaces II and II in the ends of thecylinder B. The steamexerts a pressure against the gate or valve K or 1x1 to fully move itinto an outermost position, so that a rotary motion is imparted to thepiston 1* and consequently to the main driving-shaft I), carrying thesaid piston. The steam in front of the respective gate is exhaustedthrough the outlet-pipes J J", respectively leading to the outer air. Byreference to Fig. 5 it will be seen that the entrance-openings of thesteam inlet and exhaust are near the ends of the abutments C and 0 sothat a gate after passing the exhaust-opening passes onto the abutmentis acted on by the re spective cam L or L, and moved inwardly, so thatfinally the entire gate is withdrawn from the steam-space at the timethe respective gate reaches the middle of the respective abutment C or CThe gate in traveling over the other half of the abutment again slidesoutwardly and finally passesfull y into the re spective steam-space andpast the entranceopening of the steam-inlet, so that the motive agentagain exerts its force on the respective gate.

It will be understood from the foregoing that the motive agent isconfined to the steamspaces H and ll, located between the Wheels G and Gand the respective heads C O of the cylinder B. It will be seen that themotive agent acts simultaneously upon gates attached to the said piston,so that the power of the motive agent is utilized to the greatest advantage. It will further be seen that the retary engine is constructedof but few parts, is not liable to get out of order, and at the sametime the friction is reduced to a minimum.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In a rotary engine, the combination, with acylinder provided with heads, each formed with a fixed abutment, of apiston mounted to turn in the said cylinder and provided with flangedwheels forming a steam-space at the said heads and with slottedprojections F gates fitted to slide longitudinally in the said flangedwheels and slotted projections, steaminlet pipes leading into the saidsteam-space near the ends of the abntments, and exhaustpipes leadingfrom the said steam-space opposite the entrance of the said inlet-pipesand close to the other ends of the abutments, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination,with a cylinder andcylinder-heads held on the ends of the said cylinder and each providedwith a double wedge-shaped abutment extending inwardly into the saidcylinder, of a main driving-shaft passing centrally through the saidcylinder-heads and cylinder, a piston secured on the said driving-shaftand provided with a hub, and. flanged wheels secured at the ends of thehub, said flanged wheels forming annular steam-spaces with the saidcylinderheads, gates fitted to slide longitudinally in the webs of thesaid wheels, and fixed annular cams having their peripheries fitting theinner face of the said cylinder between the wheels of the piston, theinner edges of said cams engaging notches K in the outer edges of theinner ends of the said gates or valves, substantially as described.

\VILLIAM S. LYCAN. iVitncsses: 0. 0. Coon, Anos 'lnoi-m.

